​United Nations once again shows support for the Universal Declaration on Achievement of Nuclear-Weapons-Free-World

NEW YORK, November 2, 2018 - At the 73rd session of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, the international community once again overwhelmingly reaffirmed the relevance of the Universal Declaration on the Achievement of a Nuclear-Weapons-Free-World, initiated by Kazakhstan and adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 7, 2015. The corresponding resolution was supported by 135 UN member states and co-authored by 41 states. In 2015, 131 states voted in favor of the Kazakh resolution, which was co-authored by 35 countries.

The support for the resolution by India and North Korea, nuclear-weapon states, deserves special attention. The number of supporters of the pragmatic achievement of a nuclear-weapons-free-world has also increased among European countries.

The initiative to adopt the Universal Declaration belongs to the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. It was implemented in December 2015. The head of state called on the international community to “make the creation of a world without nuclear weapons the main goal of humanity in the 21st century.”

The Universal Declaration, developed and adopted at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, calls for:

- total elimination of nuclear weapons as the only absolute guarantee against their use or threat of use;

- adoption of a multilateral, legally binding instrument for the total elimination of nuclear weapons;

- redirecting the human and economic resources that are dedicated to the development, maintenance and modernization of nuclear weapons, to strengthening peace and security and sustainable development and lifting the lives of millions of people out of poverty;

- observance of international law, including international humanitarian law, taking into consideration catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.

Given the current complex geopolitical situation in the world, the goals and objectives of the Universal Declaration are becoming increasingly important and necessary, and the universal principles and obligations of nuclear disarmament are designed to become a bridge between different views about a future safe world will look like.

The updated resolution reflects recent developments in the field of nuclear disarmament, including the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in July 2017.Kazakhstan actively participated in its development and adoption.

The main provisions and ideas of the Universal Declaration, as well as the anti-nuclear initiatives of President Nazarbayev, were embodied in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. They coincide with the conceptual vision of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on this global issue, as noted in the updated Kazakhstan resolution.

Continuation of the dialogue in the field of nuclear arms control and disarmament, as well as building mutual trust and a common vision with regard to the elimination of nuclear weapons - these find broad support among UN member states and contributes to further promotion of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Approval of the resolution at the First Committee meeting has shown recognition of Kazakhstan's contribution to the global process of nuclear disarmament and strengthening peace and international security, as well as demonstarted our country's strong commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.